Chris Baker (Sr. Public Safety Advisor, First Responder Network Authority)
Sgt. Jason Matthews (Emergency Management Bureau Sergeant, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, FL)
Kevin Nida (Fire Battalion Chief (Ret.)/Senior Public Safety Advisory, First Responder Network Authority)
Andy Pichs (Radio System Administrator E911, Douglas County, Georgia)
Matt Runyan (Leader, Mission Readiness and Deployment, Cisco Crisis Response)
Chuck Macfarland (Chief of Air Operations, City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department)
Location: N257
Date: Tuesday, March 28
Time: 9:00 am - 10:00 am
Pass Type: All Access, Quick Pass Tuesday
Track: FirstNet, Broadband
Format: Panel Session
Vault Recording: TBD
Wildfires continue to burn at all-time highs. According to NIFC, there were 58,985 wildfires reported in 2021, burning 7,125,643 acres. In 2020, nearly 59,000 wildfires burned more than 10 million acres. This was the second-most acreage impacted in a year since 1960, according to the National Interagency Coordination Center for wildland fires. Technology can be a help, not a hindrance to managing this new paradigm.
The First Responder Network Authority, or FirstNet Authority, engaged with wildland fire fighters and subject matter experts to analyze the use and value of public safety broadband in wildfires, operational gaps experienced by wildland firefighters and potential solutions to address those needs. During this session, learn more about input and the outcomes of those efforts from some of the firefighters who participated in this important research, including how this information applies to and validated the approach to an all-hazards response.